From Popcorn Hustle to Spectacular Rides: The Story of Nova Expositions

 

Have you ever wondered about the magic behind your favorite carnival rides? The flashing lights, the thrill of the heights, the smell of popcorn in the air—it all comes from somewhere. Today, let’s dive into the story of Nova Expositions, a traveling carnival with a rich history and a few unexpected twists and turns along the way.

It all started with a young Ralph Sanders, a firm believer in the great American dream. Back in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, during the Depression, when he was just 13, Ralph and a friend started hustling popcorn. Talk about entrepreneurial spirit! Ralph, a second-generation American with German and Swiss roots, didn’t let tough times stop him. When his friend left town, he and his brother took over, added peanuts to their offerings, and built their very own popcorn machine in their dad’s tin shop with just $19. Their first day? They grossed $26. Not bad for a couple of kids with a dream!

After World War II, Ralph Sanders launched Ken-Penn Amusement, which would later become Nova Expositions. He started small, with a merry-go-round and a Ferris wheel, costing him $9,000. He recalled how hard it was to get a loan from the local bank back then! It really shows how far things have come. In 1947, he and his wife, Olga, took eight rides to their first fair in Armstrong County. The following year, they played at the Green County, Pennsylvania Fair, where they held the contract until the show eventually dissolved.

Nova Expositions eventually operated two units. Ralph’s son, Ronald Sanders, managed one unit covering Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio, while Ralph handled the other. They’d combine forces for the West Virginia State Fair, making it a real family affair. Ronald and his wife, Edith, would kick off their season in mid-April and wrap it up in September. While I never experienced an actual carnival where Nova Expositions held a contract, as luck would have it, after their season ended, they booked some of their spectacular rides with other carnivals and played larger southern fairs in the fall, including the Pensacola Interstate Fair which Goodings Million Dollar Midways held the contract for at the time. It was pretty obvious while walking the midway that certain rides were not owned by Goodings. Doing a deeper dive into my carnival stories, I have discovered who owned some of the rides that appeared at the fair. Nova’s rides were a stand out due to their impeccable condition and eye for detail, including paint, lighting and cleanliness. It’s also heartwarming to hear about the scholarship Nova Expositions gave to the winner of the Miss West Virginia Fairs and Festivals Association—starting at $500 and growing to $1,000. That's a testament to their community involvement.

By the time the show closed in 1988, Nova Expositions had a lineup of fantastic rides, including the Hit 2000 (MACK Himalaya/Musik Express), Bayern Kurve, Wave Swinger, Flitzer Coaster, Goforth Sky Liner, Sky Wheel and Floyd & Baxter Bumper Cars. They also had a large kiddie land and other major rides, making sure there was fun for everyone.

Now, every story has its challenges. Nova Expositions was involved in a legal case with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). This stemmed from a dispute over the ownership of the rides and vehicles after a sheriff’s sale in 1988. The court found the sale to Edythe Sanders (Ronald's wife) was fraudulent and ruled in favor of the FDIC. It's a complicated legal situation, but it’s part of Nova Expositions’ history.

Ralph A. Sanders passed away on May 20, 1994, in New Kensington, PA, at the age of 79. He's remembered as an outstanding showman, and it's clear he poured his heart and soul into Nova Expositions.

What an incredible journey! From a humble popcorn stand to a thriving carnival, Ralph Sanders’ story is truly inspiring. It shows that with hard work and a bit of luck, anything is possible. And even with the legal hurdles they faced, the legacy of Nova Expositions lives on in the memories of those who enjoyed the rides and the atmosphere.

What are your favorite carnival memories? Have you ever been to a fair or carnival run by Nova Expositions? Share your stories in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you. If you've been touched by these kinds of stories, and have any little mementos or tokens from any such fairs or carnivals, feel free to share! Or, should you feel inclined to support my writings, you're welcome to send me a small token of appreciation through the appropriate channels (wink wink). Every little bit helps keep these historical tales alive!

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Carnival Chronicles: Step Right Up: The Colorful History and Legacy of Conklin Shows

There’s something undeniably magical about a carnival. The lights, the music, the scent of funnel cakes in the air—it’s a world that’s equal parts nostalgia and excitement. For me, carnivals hold a special place in my heart, sparking childhood memories of wandering through midways, clutching a cotton candy stick in one hand and a ride ticket in the other. And at the center of some of my many memories stands a giant in the carnival world: Conklin Shows.

My story with Conklin Shows begins back when my family made the move from Mobile, Alabama, to Pace, Florida. Our closest fair was the Pensacola Interstate Fair, where the rides came courtesy of Gooding’s Million Dollar Midways. But back in Mobile, Conklin Shows had taken over the Greater Gulf State Fair after the collapse of Century 21 Shows. My sister and I were convinced Mobile’s fair had the better lineup (because sisters always know best, right?). Little did we know, both fairs featured iconic rides that defined the carnival scene in their own ways.

Over time, as I started to dig deeper into the carnival world, I realized Conklin Shows wasn’t just any carnival company—it was the carnival company. And their story? It’s nothing short of amazing.
The tale of Conklin Shows starts in 1924 with two brothers from Brooklyn, New York: James Wesley "Patty" Conklin and Frank Conklin. Patty was the kind of guy who could turn a bag of peanuts into a carnival empire—literally. By the age of 14, he was selling peanuts to make ends meet. But Patty had bigger dreams. When he entered the carnival business, he made a promise to himself: he was going to clean up the industry’s shady reputation. With his slogan, “Give the sucker a break,” Patty earned a reputation for fairness and honesty that was almost unheard of at the time.

The early days weren’t without their quirks. In 1920, Patty teamed up with Speed Garrett, hitting the road to small prairie towns across western Canada. Their main attraction? A giant sturgeon. Sure, it sounds impressive—until the sturgeon started to smell so bad it scared off customers. But setbacks like these didn’t stop Patty. By the time the Conklin brothers secured the midway contract for the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto in 1937, they had turned their modest operation into a real contender.

The CNE was a game-changer. It’s one of the largest fairs in the world, and landing its midway contract solidified Conklin Shows as a leader in the industry. By 1941, they operated at 98% of Canada’s major fairs. Their success was built on innovation and efficiency: Conklin Shows ran a 45-car train decked out in bright orange, carrying 15 feature attractions, 21 rides and over 700 performers and crew. Patty himself traveled in a custom-built five-room railcar that was basically a mansion on wheels. Talk about traveling in style!

Patty Conklin wasn’t just a businessman—he was a visionary. He was one of the first to introduce Kiddieland, an area designed just for kids and he wasn’t afraid to invest in unique, permanent attractions. For example, at the CNE fairgrounds, Conklin Shows built rides like the Mighty Flyer, a wooden roller coaster that thrilled visitors from 1953 to the early 1990s.

When Patty passed away in 1970, his son Jim Conklin took over and continued to grow the company. Jim didn’t just step into his dad’s shoes—he built on his legacy. By the 1980s and 1990s, Conklin Shows had become North America’s largest amusement company, known for its lineup of extraordinary rides. One highlight was the Doppel Looping, North America’s only traveling double-loop roller coaster, imported from Germany. This massive coaster needed 28 trailers to transport and was a showstopper at fairs like the Calgary Stampede.

But like any good carnival story, Conklin’s tale isn’t without its ups and downs. By the late 1990s, the entire industry was feeling financial strain. Conklin Shows began selling off iconic rides like the Skywheel, Zipper and the Spider to cut costs. They had also begun to phase out independent rides and other operators what would book in their own rides alongside Conklin. By 2004, the company was sold for $100 million and merged into North American Midway Entertainment (N.A.M.E.), which today supplies rides to over 145 fairs, including the CNE and the Dade County Youth Fair in Miami.

Conklin’s legacy didn’t end there, though. Spin-off companies like World’s Finest Shows and Conklin Supershows carry the torch today. World’s Finest Shows, based in Ontario, is still a huge presence, serving over 60 fairs each year and continuing the tradition of safety and quality that made the Conklin name famous.

Looking back, I can’t help but smile at the memories of actually knowing that I had experienced Conklin Shows at one of the highest points in their existance—and I was just one of the millions of people who shared in the experience. Whether it was the thrill of the Polar Express, the smell of fresh popcorn or the glow of florescent and turbo lights of the the midway, Conklin made the carnival experience unforgettable.

What about you? Do you have memories of Conklin Shows or another favorite carnival? Maybe it was your first time riding the Ferris wheel or winning a stuffed animal at a game booth. I’d love to hear your stories, so drop a comment below. Let’s keep the spirit of the midway alive, one memory at a time.
And hey, if this story brought a little joy to your day or reminded you of your own carnival adventures, feel free to support keeping these stories alive. Your contributions, big or small, help ensure the magic of the midway lives on for future generations. Thanks for being part of this journey—we couldn’t do it without you.

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Memories of Gooding's Million Dollar Midways at the Pensacola Interstate Fair in the 1980s

I originally posted this story a while back and thought it deserved a revisit for accuracy. Interestingly enough, shortly after I shared it, a certain carnival Facebook page decided it was good enough to copy and paste as their own. And when someone pointed out their blatant theft, they blocked me. Classy move, Pounce-Matics Amuse-Matic. Maybe consider coming up with your own content for your pages?

After my parents moved my sister and me to Pace, I didn't realize that we would no longer be going to the Greater Gulf State Fair in Mobile. When fair season began in the area, the Pensacola Interstate Fair was much closer. To my parents, a carnival was just a carnival—all the same rides, food, and blah blah blah. The fairs in Pensacola and Mobile either overlapped or ran at the same time, and we thought the company that owned the rides was the same one that brought rides to both locations. Somehow, we believed Mobile would get the bigger, better, and flashier rides. To a kid, the grass is always greener everywhere else.

Something with the Gooding's logo. Source Unknown.

I really didn't know at the time that there were a whole lot of carnival companies crisscrossing the country, playing different fairs simultaneously. In Mobile, we'd seen Al Kunz's massive Century 21 Shows, which held that spot for many years until Conklin took over, with additional rides booked in from Cumberland Valley Shows. When Conklin took over the fair in Mobile, it seemed to be a seamless transition because Century 21 had many of the same rides Conklin had, such as the Himalaya, Skywheel, Sky Diver, Trabant, Scrambler, and other classics. The only difference you noticed was the addition of newer, more massive thrill rides like the Enterprise, Wave Swinger, and Rainbow.

In Pensacola, we got Gooding's Million Dollar Midways. Gooding's was a massive carnival in terms of the number of spots they played each year. They held contracts with many large fairs and supposedly had enough units with enough rides to play over 10 large fairs simultaneously. In reality, Gooding's Million Dollar Midways didn't own many rides. Rumor had it, the only equipment they owned were ticket booths, generators with their logos painted on, an office trailer, and maybe a girly show. Their business model was based on booking rides from other carnival companies to fill a midway. This meant that you not only had rides from Gooding's—if they actually existed—but also from Link Shows, Royal American Shows, Cumberland Valley Shows, possibly Reithoffer Shows, and several others that had a good working relationship with Milt Kaufman, the owner of Gooding's. Essentially, their fairs could be considered an "Independent Midway" of sorts.

As we pulled into the parking lot, my eyes were transfixed on what makes a fair a fair for me—the Skywheel. That lot could've had no more than two other rides, and I wouldn't have cared less because the Skywheel was the ride I loved the most, something that hasn't changed over the years. Not only was there one Skywheel, but there were two—both at opposite ends of the midway. As we walked the midway, I saw many differences compared to what I'd seen in Mobile. There were many duplicates of rides throughout the midway: two Zippers, three Scrambler-type rides, two Paratroopers, five music-type rides, three Ferris Wheels, and so on. This fair was bigger than Mobile, but only because they had multiples of the same type of rides. The Wave Swinger was the only ride I remembered from Mobile that Goodings didn't feature on the midway, though it was in the commercial. Instead, we got a Chance Yo-Yo and a Watkins Swinger, except for the last year when a Wave Swinger made an appearance.

Pensacola's rides weren't as flashy, and the color schemes didn't really match, but the fair was definitely solid. 1991 was the last year Goodings held the contract for the Pensacola Interstate Fair. Reithoffer Shows took over the following year. Goodings went out with a bang that last year. The midway was filled to capacity with pieces booked in, ranging from classics to modern rides of the time.

For those interested in ride line-ups, this is what I remember from Pensacola the last year Goodings played the fair. Keep in mind, this was 1991, and I had no clue who owned what other than the Giant Wheel owned by Link and the Wave Swinger, which was either Deggeller's or CVS's ride:

• Skywheel

• Tilt-A-Whirl

• Geister-Bahn

• Zipper

• Fantasy Fun House

• Super Sizzler

• Scrambler

• Sizzler

• Spider

• Force 10

• Paratrooper

• Crazy Dance (owned by Royal American)

• Giant Wheel (owned by Link Shows)

• Magical Mirrors

• Super Jets

• Sunshine Speedway

• Hampton Umbrellas (5 of them)

• Mini Scooter

• Gravitron

• Wave Swinger

• Round Up

• Thriller Dark Ride

• Lil Scrambler

• Reverchon Himalaya (with 7-8 seats tied off)

• Flying Carpet Funhouse

• Pirates Den Dark Ride

• Ghost Hunters Walk-Thru

• Amor Express The Love Machine

• Music Fest

• Alpine Haus Funhouse

• Musik Express

• Boomerang

• Roll-O-Plane

• Bumper Cars

• Bumper Boats

• Flume Ride

• Kiddie Bumper Boats

• Glasshouse

• Loop-O-Plane

• House of Fun Funhouse

• Ghost Train

• Raiders

• Enterprise

• Eli Hy-5 Wheel

• Sea Dragon

• Swinger

• Eli Eagle Wheel

• Space Rader (Ring of Fire)

• Flying Bobs

• Sky Diver

• Racing Coaster

• Kamikaze

• Hurricane

• Toboggan

• Carousel

• Trabant

There was talk on the news that there were over 120 rides and attractions, but realistically, I can only remember maybe 85 at the most, collectively among the years I saw them. Unless they were including pony rides, concessions, kiddie attractions, games, and the sideshows. Gooding's seemed to feature an obscene amount of glass houses, funhouses, dark rides, and walk-thrus, so a good bulk of my not-remembered attractions may have included those. There may have been more out there, or I may have some of the lineup from the year before mixed in. I really wish I'd had the foresight to take photos at carnivals the way I do now. Up to that point, I'd never seen a midway packed out like I did that particular year. Back in the day, I never really thought about what was actually owned by the shows that were booked in and what wasn't. Now that I have more knowledge about rides and carnivals, I can safely say that if Gooding's Million Dollar Midways owned anything featured at the fair, it was most certainly not the larger and newer rides. The following year, Reithoffer definitely came in with a bang to top Gooding's last year and did rather well. They brought in most of the Blue and Orange units, as well as their Green unit, which was dissolved and broke off as a separate show in the late '90s. In addition to the three Reithoffer units, they also booked in much of the entire All-American Midway, as well as a few independently owned rides, such as someone's Chance Rok-N-Rol.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my memories of Gooding's Million Dollar Midways. Do you have any carnival or fair memories, personal stories, or experiences you'd like to share? I’d love to hear about them in the comments. Your stories and memories make this journey all the more special. If you enjoyed this post and would like to support my storytelling journey, any small token of appreciation is always welcome. Let’s keep the joy of sharing memories and stories alive together!

A Historical Look Back at Royal American Shows and My 1993 Louisiana State Fair Experience

Before his death in 1965, Carl J. Sedlmayr, often regarded as the king of the amusement industry, had built the largest carnival in the world. Sedlmayr's Royal American Shows proudly held the title of being the world's most beautiful show and the world's largest carnival midway. It was also the largest show to ever travel by train, boasting a massive convoy of 90 railroad cars during its heyday. This enormous train had to be split into two separate sections for transport. The first section contained 37 flat cars, two stock cars for equipment storage, one pie car for employees to eat and socialize, and seven sleeper cars. The second section included 20 flat cars, two concession supply cars, two private coach cars, one dining car, and 17 sleeper cars.

Royal American's success was partly due to its strong route, primarily playing state fairs in the United States and large regional expositions in Canada. Growing up in Mobile and Pensacola during the seventies and eighties, I remember visiting midways like Century 21, Goodings Million Dollar Midways, and Conklin but never experienced Royal American Shows as they had lost the contract with the Pensacola Interstate Fair to Goodings years before I attended. Royal American was known for its spectacular and massive midways, and anyone who witnessed it in its glory was truly fortunate. The entire show traveled by train until 1982, when the railroads' expenses forced Royal American to switch to trucks. Brightly painted equipment, including the show train and trailers, showcased Sedlmayr's circus-style flair.

Royal American Show's spectacular midway

In 1983, Royal American began traveling by truck, converting all rides to over-the-road status. During their Shreveport dates, they had the Space Wheels and Rod Link's Skywheel set up simultaneously, a sight to behold! In 1993, I visited the Royal American midway in Shreveport. Though not as large as before, it remained one of the most impressive carnivals I've seen. Their classic Rock-O-Plane ride still looked great and attracted many visitors. This was the 60th year for Royal American at the Louisiana State Fair, but sadly, it was their last for a while as they lost the contract to Bill Dillard Shows. They replaced the Shreveport date with the Greater Baton Rouge State Fair.

From what I recall, Royal American had the following show-owned rides on the midway in 1993: 36' Chance Merry-go-Round, 90' Majestic Scooter, Rock-O-Plane, Winky the Whale, Round-Up, Scrambler, four Hamptons, Dumbo Ride, Yo-Yo, Crazy Dance (the one from Problem Child 2), Hi-Roller, Go-Gator, SkyDiver, Gravitron, Spider, Swinger, Koncord Kastle, Kiddie Scrambler, Cycle Jump, Little Eli, Tilt-A-Whirl, and Four by Four. They also had several rides booked-on from other shows. Unfortunately, I never got to see Royal American after they closed for good in 1997, and their assets were auctioned off in 1999.